Pointe
shoes. They are to a ballerina what a bicycle is to a competitive
cyclist, a pair of skates to a figure skater, a set of clubs to a
golfer. Both functional and aesthetic, they are an integral part of her
artistry, indeed her life. There are dozens of brands of pointe shoes,
and hundreds of sub-types within those brands. They may all be pink and
satin, but beyond the simple traditional exterior (which has maintained
the same fundamental look since Marie Taglioni first donned a pair to
appear as a weightless sylph in La Sylphide in 1832), they have
evolved vastly in terms of materials and support. Taglioni’s pointe
shoes were little more than soft ballet slippers with extra darning on
the tips and sides. Modern pointe shoes, first worn by Anna Pavlova at
the beginning of the last century, consist of two key structural
components: a re-inforced box at the end to support the tips of the toes, and a firm shank
along the sole to support the arch. Materials used to construct them
may include cardboard, paper, glue, fabric, and even fiberglass. The
various “models” of pointe shoes are meant to address a wide range of
the ballerina’s needs and foot shape. Imagine the variety of running
shoes on the market today--pointe shoes are just as specialized.

Beyond
this, a ballerina must prepare the shoe to her specific liking before
she can dance in it. A pointe shoe arrives without ribbons or elastic,
because everyone likes to sew them differently depending on their
needs. They also must be broken-in to conform to each dancer’s foot.
Some people take a hammer to them, some bang them on concrete, some bend
them in the crook of a door. When I get a pair of shoes, I spend about
3 hours preparing them before I ever put them on my feet. I darn the
tips (a practice that some dancers prefer because it evens out the
platform of the box, and also makes the shoe “quieter” and less
slippery), I sew on ribbons and elastic, I cut the shanks on the inside
so that it bends in the proper place of my arch, I cut the satin off the
tips, I pour a teaspoon of good old-fashioned shellac on the inside and
let it soak in overnight (this extends the life of the shoe), and
lastly I place a small strip of Dr. Scholl’s foot and shoe padding on
the inside to allow for the uneven length of my toes. Throughout the
lifespan of any one pair of shoes, I will continue to “doctor them
up”--my lunch break is often spent re-darning the tips to get a few more
“wearings” out of the pair.

My first experience with
pointe shoes harkens back to the age of 9. I had just been accepted to
the summer intensive program at San Francisco Ballet. Nine is
relatively young to start en pointe, but since the summer program
required at least some pointework, my teachers started me early. I had
been dancing since the age of 3, so my feet, legs and core were strong
enough to handle the shoes. I remember going with my mother to get my
first pair--it was like Christmas. We purchased the smallest size
possible. The minute I got home, I disobeyed my teacher’s
restrictions. I put them on and danced around my bedroom, even took
them out to the front yard and dirtied them up on the sidewalk. It was
magical.

My first pointe class consisted of 15 minutes
at the barre. To some, it was a bit of torture--the painfully slow
rises through the instep and toes, the quick jarring springs up over the
arch, the burning repetition--releve, eleve, echappe, passe--
over and over again. To me, it was heavenly. Even my first blister,
which left some of my friends sobbing after class, I cherished. It was
like a badge of courage, a rite of passage in the ballerina’s journey
from childhood into adolescence. Blisters, corns, bunions, bruised
toenails, even losing toenails--they all came par for the course in the
world of pointe. They still do... Along with the first pointe
class, a budding ballerina must learn to cope with all the ailments of
the feet. Tape, band-aids, corn pads, New Skin liquid bandage, Second Skin burn pads (for blisters), Ambesol numbing ointment, Neosporin,
epsom salts, Betodine, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, Tiger Balm,
Arnica--all friends to the ballerina’s foot. And as a professional,
nothing beats a bucket of ice in which to plunge the feet after a hard
day’s work. I have one set up under my dinner table.

A
common question I get about pointe shoes is: “how long do they last?”
There is no short answer, because different ballets require different
levels of hardness, or what a ballerina refers to as “deadness”. On a
scale of 1-10, a brand new pair of shoes would be a 1 in terms of deadness. For a ballet like Swan Lake, I use three different pairs for each act. Act Two requires a shoe that is about 4 on the level of “deadness,” Act Three requires a harder 2 to withstand the 32 fouettes, Act Four can suffice with a softer 7 or 8.
Of course this will be different for every ballerina. I have known
some dancers who will change their shoes in the wings during their
partner’s two minute variation, just so that she will have the perfect
pair for her next dance.

As you can see, pointe
shoes are a very personal and specialized part of a ballerina’s career.
In her lifetime, she will spend more hours sewing and preparing shoes,
caring for the aches and pains of the feet, and training her body to
withstand the rigors of pointework-- than she actually will
performing on stage. It is a love-hate relationship that a ballerina
has with her shoes. But most ballerinas would agree that the sacrifices
made to create the effect of being light on her feet are well worth it.
Pointe shoes are part of what gives the ballerina her effervescence and
mystical weightlessness. Like Victoria Page in The Red Shoes, dancing en pointe is not just dancing, it is living. And, to me at least, a life without pointe shoes would feel just a bit less magical.

Where did you train/dance before coming to Colorado Ballet?
Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, danced at Bolshoi Ballet – Grigorovich Ballet Company

What did you do with your summer break?
I had a family
vacation in Sarasota Florida, and then I taught in Chicago in Salt Creek
Ballet School at the Summer Intensive Program. I also taught at
Colorado Ballet’s Summer Intensive.

What age did you first start dancing? What do you remember from your first class?
I
knew I would be a professional dancer at 10 years old, I went to a
professional Academy. I remember in the 2nd grade, I performed La Fill Mal Garde
on stage. Only the students perform in that ballet and it was at the
State Kremlin Palace. I remember dancing with real makeup and costumes
and when the curtain opened and I saw the audience, it took my breath
away. This was like a fairy tale.

What was your first ballet you remember attending? What do you remember about it?
I saw many of them on TV on national television, my first impression was of The Nutcracker.
The story is a little different story in Russia than here. It was
closer to the original Hoffmann story. The lead ballerina was Ekaterina
Maximova. I saw a lot of performances; my mother took me to ballets
like Cipollino with onions and tomatoes. I also remember Giselle, Swan Lake and La Bayadère on television.

Who are your ballet role models? Dancers that inspire you.
Ekaterina
Maximova is my favorite ballerina. I like some ballerinas in some
ballets and some in others. I can get inspiration from other
ballerinas, depending what I’m watching.

Proudest moment in your ballet career?
There is always something new, and in that moment you are proud, so it is continuous.

Favorite choreographer(s) you’ve worked with?
This is hard
to choose just one because each choreographer is unique. You always
find something new for yourself, for your body, for your soul and
movements. Working with a choreographer is like when you open a new
book and you experience something new.

If you could get a lesson/class from anyone, it would be ________
I
admire my Russian teachers, but I would love to have taken a class with
Mr. Balanchine. Definitely with someone from the past.

Best advice you’ve ever received from a teacher?
You will
become ballet dancer, ballet artist and the first part of your
profession is to give happiness and joy to people. This inspires me.

Favorite ballets to dance? Which are favorite to watch?
It
is hard to choose. To watch, everything classical. To dance, you are
always growing as a classical ballet dancer and you get to work with new
choreographers and contemporary dances. I like story ballets, but I
also like to dance ballets like Balanchine where you are dancing
something other than the story, like the music. You can always find
something enjoyable and loveable. I just love to be on stage.

Dream role?
Once again, it is hard to choose. For example, when I dance Juliet in Romeo &amp; Juliet, I really get into the character, but I also love dancing ballets like Balanchine’s Theme &amp; Variations,
where you are really thinking about how you move. Like Martha Graham
technique is different, your muscles work differently with different
techniques; you understand yourself and your body even more after
dancing these kind of roles.

What do you like to do when you aren’t dancing (your free time)?
I
have a daughter and my first priority is to be a mother and I love
spending time with her. I love my family. In this role of mother, it
is very interesting and important to me. It has helped me to rise to
another level in my dance career. You start to see the world in a
different way when you become a parent. You see the world differently.
It is my dream to someday dance with my daughter on stage.

What are some of your indulgences?
You have to treat
yourself with healthy stuff because we have so many hours rehearsing.
Overall, I try to eat healthy and hydrate for high altitude and to take
care of my muscles. I take supplements to take care of my muscles,
joints, and my body.

Do you have any pre-performance routines/rituals?
You have
to come earlier if you are dancing principal part, get makeup, hair
done properly, and it can take two hours sometimes to prepare for a
performance. Then you have to warm up. When you are doing the makeup,
crown, hair, you start to get into the role. Go to the stage, get into
your shoes. For contemporary stuff, you have to go through the steps,
listen to music on your headphones.

What production(s) are you most excited about this year?
I am happy and glad to dance everything this season. I don’t know how many times I have danced The Nutcracker,
but I always find something different. It is never perfection; you can
always improve yourself for every production every year. And, it is
always exciting to dance something new.

What would you say to people who come to see the Colorado Ballet?
Audiences
are different, some of them know the performances and they naturally
get this form of art. But for people who are not as used to it, I think
every type of audience can find a program that will match their
thoughts and wishes. Everyone should come to see us. Ballet is deeper,
it is something exciting, and when you come to the theater you see
there is more to it, especially with Giselle. In Giselle, you see the philosophy of forgiveness and that love can save your life.

Colorado Ballet is starting a new dancer Q&A part
of its blog. The first Q&A is with our new Soloist, Domenico
Luciano.

Where are you from?
Naples, Italy

Where did you train/dance before coming to Colorado Ballet?
I trained at the Real Teatro di San Carlo Ballet School in Naples, Italy.
I
danced throughout Europe and Italy before coming to the States in 2004
to join Tulsa Ballet and then Dominic Walsh Dance Theater in 2005.

What did you do with your summer break?
I usually guest with other companies, teach and go visit my family in Italy for a little vacation by the gulf of Napoli.

What age did you first start dancing?
Pretty late, I was 14 years old.

What was your first ballet you remember attending? What do you remember about it?
The
first ballet I attended was GISELLE with Etoile Alessandra Ferri in the
leading role, and Johann Cobborg from Royal Ballet as Albrecht.
I
was captivated and transported by the magic of the performance. I didn't
want it to end. As student of the ballet school, I was able to go every
night for more.

Who are your ballet role models? Dancers that inspire you.
I
like dancers that are brave and courageous, want to be challenged and
explore all the different style of dance out there. I love all the
projects that Wendy Whelan is working on right now. It shows how, as an
artist, you never stop learning and growing. After a long and successful
career as a Principal Dancer with NYCB, she is diving into new
territory, like modern and contemporary dance, with a joy and
excitement. It is what Mikhail Baryshnikov and Sylvie Guillem have done
as well.
At this moment, my male ballet role model is David Hallberg.
I think he has a very special presence on stage, besides an amazing
technique and quality of movement.

Proudest moment in your ballet career?
Dancing the leading role in John Cranko's ONEGIN, feeling very connected to the role and getting emotional on stage.

Favorite ballets to dance? Which are your favorite to watch?
I never get tired of listening and watching Swan Lake.

Dream role?
I would love to dance Petit Mort by Jiri Kylian.

If you could never dance again, what would you want your final role to be?
It
is hard to pick one. I definitively would want to dance a role that
could give me the chance to share with the audience something special
that would be remembered.

What do you like to do when you aren’t dancing (your free time)?
I'm new to Colorado, so I have a lot to explore in Denver and around!

What are some of your indulgences?
I'm Italian…bread, pasta and pizza

Do you have any pre-performance routines/rituals?
Yes!
Of course!
Timing is key for me.
I like to have everything planned ahead before curtain is up.
Time of arrival to the theater
Time for warm up
Time for class
Time for make up
Time to get in costume
Time to practice on stage
Maybe I sound a bit OCD….
LOL
Oh well, if it all helps.

What production(s) are you most excited about this year?
This is my first year with Colorado Ballet, it is all exciting to me!!!

What would you say to people who come to see the Colorado Ballet?
Come
and see Colorado Ballet, it is a Company that has a great combination
of athleticism and classicism. Colorado Ballet maintains the beautiful
and historical tradition of classical ballet delivered by powerful
bodies that have a deep knowledge and respect for the craft.